What is OLED TV?

Want an amazing TV for football? With the 2017/18 season kicking off in August, now’s the time to go OLED. Don’t be left wondering what could have been…

Why invest in an OLED TV in 2017?

The first OLEDs were the type of TVs you find hanging in footballers’ mansions with massive screens and price tags. And quite rightly so. They deliver the absolute best in TV picture quality thanks to their cutting-edge screens – whether you’re watching the new football season or the latest blockbuster.

That’s not to mention the upcoming summer of sport, with football, motor racing and golf all vying for your attention. With Panasonic and Sony now joining OLED pioneer LG, the technology is here to stay.

Why choose an OLED TV?

With an OLED TV, you get:

Deep, inky blacks side by side with bright white – think stars or floodlights against a night sky

Super-thin and sophisticated design - one model from LG is as thin as 4 stacked credit cards

4K resolution for 4 times the detail of Full HD ­– perfect for watching football with Sky Q

How are OLED TVs different?

Behind your TV’s screen is a panel of LED lights that switch on and off to create a lighter or darker picture. On an LED TV this is done by a backlight.

Buton an OLED TV there is no backlight– the individualLEDs turn themselves on and off manually.​

How does this create a better picture?

Because you can havetotal, absolute blacksin one part of the screen andbright whitesin another. A TV stands or falls on its black colours. Why? Because movies are often dark and shadowy, and offer bright lights and big bangs.

The same can be said for football. Imagine those big European nights where matches are played beneath floodlights and a black sky.

And with an OLED TV, if an area of the screen needs to be black, the relevant LEDs will be totally shut off.NASA says LG’s OLED TVs are perfect for taking viewers ‘much closer to the real experience of being in space’ when watching NASA TV.

How good are the colours?

Rich, vibrant and true to life. OLED TVs cancreate millions of colours. Colour accuracy is another important feature when buying a new TV, and OLED delivers.

Netflix HDR made for OLED

All of the above makes OLED TVs perfect for watching HDR content. HDR, or high dynamic range, is a new type of video pioneered by Netflix, Amazon and the BBC. It’s also found on 4K Blu-ray discs – the next-generation of Blu-ray.

HDR video delivers brighter whites and darker blacks and every shade in-between while also creating more natural colours. See added layers of detail in dark, shadowy movies while blue skies have never seemed bluer, stars never brighter. HDR can highlight tiny, nuanced changes in shade.

Are OLED TVs good for watching sports?

Whether it’s a ball being crossed, or a car racing round a track at high speed, sports can be fast-paced and packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it action. You want your picture to be smooth.

To do that your TV needs to be able to show moving objects clearly without blurring. Refresh rate is what keeps the action smooth. AndOLED TVs are among the best performers. So, as the pacey winger charges up the pitch with the ball seemingly magically at his feet, you’ll see it in all its glory, without any blurring.

Football or rugby pitches will be free of dark patches too thanks to the excellent colour uniformity on OLED TVs. LG OLED TVs also boast 4K resolution so you can also enjoy 4 times the detail of HD. Sky showed 124 games in 4K Ultra HD last season, and with the new season getting under way in August there are loads of matches coming your way.

What about watching from different angles?

It doesn’t matter where you sit when watching an OLED set – it has anear-perfect viewing angle. Viewing angles can affect picture quality on other TVs, butOLED is excellent even when viewing from a tight angle– if you have been relegated to the armchair in the far corner of the room, for example.

Who makes OLED TVs?

LG is the biggest name when it comes to OLED TV. It has pioneered the technology since 2013. But Sony and Panasonic now also make OLED TVs – a move which shows they are here to stay.

Movie nights are incredible with the LG C7. This cutting-edge TV combines OLED and 4K with Dolby Vision HDR to give you the absolute best in picture quality.